“I’ve taken a lot of crap from a lot of people,” said Rocker, who racked up 88 saves, more than 330 strikeouts and a 3.42 ERA in six seasons with the Braves, Indians, Rangers and Devil Rays. “Probably more than anybody in the history of this sport. I know Hank (Aaron) and Jackie (Robinson) took a good deal of crap, but I guarantee it wasn’t for six years. I just keep thinking: How much am I supposed to take?”
Oh, just a little bit more. But why stop at Aaron and Robinson? Why not make an analogy between the shunning of Rocker and the treatment of Curt Flood? Rosa Parks? Steven Biko? Anne Frank? Harvey Milk?
Seriously, if you’re a Long Island based journalist, Rocker’s Atlantic League initiation is the greatest thing to happen to your job since Amy Fisher shot Mary Jo Buttafuoco.